Preparing for equine-assisted therapy can begin with a few notes about how you feel, what you hope to explore, and what you want to ask. 

Here are three free downloadable PDF worksheets to help you organize those thoughts before a session. 

Bring the answers you choose to share with your therapist and the team responsible for the horses.

You may be curious about the experience, comfortable around animals, or unsure what being near a horse will feel like. Any of those responses gives you something useful to discuss. 

And if you’re already receiving support for substance use or mental health concerns, ask your clinician how equine-assisted work would fit your existing care.

What Equine-Assisted Therapy Involves

Equine-assisted psychotherapy brings horses into a planned mental health treatment process. A qualified clinician guides the therapeutic work, with appropriate expertise involved in caring for and working safely with the animals. 

The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations describes animal-assisted therapy as structured work with specific goals delivered within a professional’s scope of practice (IAHAIO, 2018).

The details depend on the program. In the Eagala model, for example, a licensed mental health professional and an equine specialist work together in sessions that take place on the ground, without riding. 

Other approaches may use different activities. Ask what your particular program offers and who will be present.

Research in addiction treatment remains limited. A scoping review found some encouraging findings, but small studies and other research limitations left effectiveness inconclusive. 

Equine-assisted work should be discussed as a possible addition to appropriate treatment, with expectations tailored to you.

Connecting the Experience With Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation includes noticing what you feel and choosing how to respond. It can involve recognizing tension, naming frustration, or asking for a pause before continuing. 

The World Health Organization’s stress-management guide includes noticing thoughts and feelings, grounding, and choosing actions connected to personal values.

In an equine-assisted session, your therapist might invite you to talk about your reactions to an activity or to being in an unfamiliar setting. 

Perhaps you notice impatience when something takes longer than expected. 

Perhaps you feel uncomfortable asking a question. 

Those are both possible starting points for a conversation about everyday situations, such as a disagreement at home or a difficult moment at work.

The purpose of preparation is to put your own experience into words. Write what you notice without trying to predict how the horse will behave or what the session will mean.

How to Use the Worksheets

Choose a moment to work through whichever prompts feel useful. A few words are enough. You can write, type, or talk through your answers with your therapist. 

Keep any answer private if you wish, and skip questions that feel uncomfortable.

These are preparation prompts, not a clinical assessment. They have no score or passing result. You can leave them unfinished and still bring one question to your appointment.

Use them before meeting the team; any horse activities should take place under the program’s supervision.

Click here to download the free worksheets.

Worksheet 1: Notice Your Emotional Starting Point

Start with what’s happening today. You might feel curious and nervous at the same time, or find that “unsure” is the most accurate description.

If paying attention to sensations in your body feels uncomfortable, skip that prompt and focus on the words you want to use.

Worksheet 2: Identify Your Hopes and Preferences

Think about something you’d like to explore. A useful starting point might be asking for help, noticing frustration sooner, or speaking up about a limit.

Keep the goal small enough to discuss in a session. The care team can help you decide whether and how equine-assisted work relates to it.

Worksheet 3: Prepare Questions for Your Care Team

Use this worksheet to record the program’s answers. Understanding the format can help you decide what you want to discuss before the session begins. Add any practical questions about access, clothing, or scheduling that matter to you.

Human safety and animal wellbeing both belong in this conversation. 

IAHAIO guidance calls for safeguards for participants and animals, attention to allergies, and respect for individual preferences about animal contact.

Ask the team to explain how those principles work in their program.

A Preparation Example

Imagine that your main concern is becoming impatient when you feel uncertain. 

• On the first worksheet, you write that your jaw sometimes tightens and you stop asking questions. 
• On the second, you identify a goal: saying you need more information before pushing ahead. 
• On the third, you ask how to request a pause.

You now have a specific conversation to bring to the therapist. They can explain the session, discuss your preferences, and help you decide what to focus on. 

Afterward, you might talk about whether you noticed the familiar reaction and what you want to explore next.

This is an example of how the worksheets can organize a discussion. Your experience may be quite different. Curiosity, disappointment, uncertainty, and changing your mind are all things you can bring into that conversation.

Before Your Appointment

Confirm the session format directly with the program. Ask what clothing and footwear it recommends, how to share access needs, and who to contact with questions. 

Tell the care team about concerns that could affect participation so they can discuss suitable options with you.

For adults exploring this approach within addiction treatment, Ingrained Recovery offers medical detox and residential treatment programs on a 50-acre campus in Georgia, and their treatment center offers equine-assisted therapy as a pillar of its treatment programs. 

Its care team can explain the current session structure and how it relates to an individual’s treatment plan.

Bring whichever worksheet answers you want to share. You might circle one question you especially want answered or add a note that you prefer to talk privately. If your preferences change during the appointment, tell the team.

Summary

Keep the worksheets if you find them useful, and ask your therapist what to revisit. You might add a note about a question that was answered, a preference you expressed, or something that surprised you. An unfinished answer can stay unfinished.

If you want to connect the experience with daily life, bring a specific situation to discuss. 

For instance: “When I’m confused at work, I tend to agree before I understand. Could we talk about a way to ask for clarification?” 

Let the clinician help you explore what is relevant and what support you need.

Use your notes as a record of your own experience. The discussion afterward gives you a chance to review the session, adjust expectations, and decide with your care team whether this approach continues to fit your goals.

Helpful Tools

Our self-guided program includes tools from CBT, DBT, ACT and more, so you can discover what works best for you. Check out The Mental Wellbeing Toolkit today – it's "like 10 therapy sessions in one."

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